Next April will mark three years since the enactment of the Law establishing a juvenile justice system designed for children.
However, this legislation is not fully implemented, and it is uncertain when this goal will be achieved.
The process initiated by the Ministry of Justice to find “guardians” who play a crucial role according to the provisions of the Law (The Law on Children in Conflict with the Law Law of 2021, Law 55(I)/2021) has fallen through.
Yesterday, Phileleftheros formally requested an update from the Ministry on the issue of guardians.
We were informed that a relevant tender was announced without the desired results and that a “new tender will be announced very soon” for the positions.
Information from our newspaper indicates that only one person expressed interest in the position of guardian; however, they did not meet the criteria.
According to the legislation passed by the House of Representatives in April 2021, guardians will play a significant role in handling juvenile offenders.
The legislation did not clarify which individuals would perform these duties.
Nevertheless, based on actions by the former Minister of Justice and Public Order, Emily Yioliti, and apparently due to the inability to find suitable individuals, this role was temporarily assigned to members of the Police Force.
As was made known in the summer of 2021, members of the Cyprus Police received expedited training, attending a series of three and five-day courses to acquire some degree of qualification and assume this role temporarily.
The decision at the time to even temporarily assign the role of guardians to police officers caused concern within police circles.
This is because guardians must be individuals with specialized training.
The definition given in the preamble of the Law is indicative: “‘guardian’ means a person who falls under the Ministry of Justice and Public Order, trained in children’s rights, who acts as a liaison between the Police and public authorities entrusted with powers or obligations under the provisions of this Law and/or those exercising parental responsibility for the child.”
The structure that will accommodate minors with delinquent behaviour within the framework of the legislation also remains pending.
However, the Ministry of Justice has initiated a solution to this issue.
